Mencap is on course to open its first 25 charity shops by November, and plans to open more than 100 in the next five years.
The charity launched its retail operation last November, and has so far opened 17 shops, including stores in Bury, Wakefield, Leicester, Norwich and Derby.
A spokeswoman for the charity said her organisation is in the process of opening 100 shops by 2022.
She said: “We are aiming to open 22 new stores a year and since November 2016 we have opened 16 stores, so are well on our way to having the first 25 Mencap shops open by November 2017.”
The shops will take three different formats: donation stations, standard stores and discount stores. The majority so far have been standard stores.
Donation stations will be located out of town, usually near supermarkets, and mainly function to redistribute items people have dropped off to other shops.
Mencap’s standard stores will be located within local communities, and sell a range of items including clothes, toys, bric-a-brac, entertainment, cards and flowers.
Its discount shops will be located on high streets in town centres and sell lower quality stock that has been either sent from the donation station or did not sell in the charity’s standard stores.
The charity is recruiting one full time shop manager and one part time store assistant for each shop, as well as “lots of volunteering opportunities across the network of shops”, including opportunities for people with a learning disability.
In addition to each stores staff, Mencap have also recruited one area business manager to help oversee these stores and are currently recruiting for a second manager to help facilitate the growth.
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